Auxiliary lamp snap-on filter



Feb 9, 1954 E. I .BARcUs AUXILI'ARY LAMP SNAP-0N FILTER Filed July 14,1949 Inventor afa/mu@ gaz/:as

Patented Feb. 9, 1954 AUXILIARY LAMP SNAP-ON FILTER Edward L. -Barons,Andersonflnd., assigner to General Motors Corporation,V DetroitfMich., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 14, 1949, Serial No. 104,656

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to vehicle auxiliary lamps of the typeillustrated and described in the U. S. application of Clarence A.Michel, et al., Serial Number 32,654, led June l2, 1948, and moreparticularly to snap-on iilters for such lamps.

rIhe auxiliary lamp of the above application comprises a well-knownsealed-beam lamp and a simple adapter for connecting the lamp in avehicle lighting system. It provides a simple and inexpensive troublelight for vehicles particularly trucks which are used in scheduled runsrequiring large amounts of driving during the hours of darkness. Suchvehicles are often subjected to breakdowns on the highways and requiresuitable portable lighting systems for effecting repairs and in additionrequire suitable means for giving ample warning to other highway trafc.Heretofore, open flame kerosene lamps having windshields have been usedbut are not entirely successful as they are bulky and require frequentattention to keep them in condition. The portable lamp of the aboveapplication obviates the need for frequent attention and may be quicklyand easily converted to a warning lamp.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a filterfor the above adapted to quickly convert it to a warning signal means.

This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the presentinvention by providing the portable lamp disclosed in the aboveapplication with a colored lter element readily attached thereto.

The novel features which are characteristic of my invention are setforth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself,however, will be best understood in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure l is a side elevational view of the portablelamp and snap-on filter and Figure 2 is a perspective view of thefilter.

Referring now to the drawing there is illustrated the portable lamp withthe filter attached for use as a portable warning lamp. The lampcomprises a conventional sealed beam lamp 2 composed of a light source(not shown), a reiiector 4 and a lens 6 sealed as a unit by the sealingring 8. An adapter I composed of a cupshaped spool member I2, aconnector I4 and a rectangular plate IB (shown partly broken away)provides means for connecting the sealed-beam lamp to the lightingcircuit of the vehicle by conductors I8. When the terminals (not shown)of the sealed beam lamp are inserted in the connector I4, the reflector4 forms one side for the spool I2 thus permitting the winding of alength of conductor I8 on the spool. A pair of spring clamps 20 havingone end connected to the side Wall of the spool as shown and the otherend engaging the sealing ring 8 provide for clamping the sealed beamlamp in the adapter.

To convert the portable trouble lamp into a warning lamp a snap-onfilter 22 is provided. The lter is formed with inner and outer sphericalsurfaces 24 and 26 respectively which substantially conforms to theouter surface contour of lens 6. The lter is made of any suitabletransparent material preferably a plastic which is colored red to filtersubstantially all but red light from the light source thus providing theconventional red warning signal. I have found that a plastic materialsuch as the polymerized methylmethacrylate thermoplastic resin commonlyknown as Lucite is particularly desirable. The filter 22 is providedwith diametrically disposed axially extending Iianges 28 which engagethe surface of the sealing ring 8 of the sealed-beam lamp. Cutoutportions 30 equally space the anges 28 and adapt the lter to be fastenedwith the portable bracket described in the above application. Centrallyspaced along the anges 28 and at the peripheral edge of the iilter arerectangular apertures 32 which provide for attaching the lter element tothe portable lamp by means of the spring clamps 20. It will be seen thatattachment of the lter element is accomplished by first removing theclamps from their position engaging the sealing ring of the sealedbeamlamp, sliding the filter element over the sealed-beam lamp andthereafter inserting the gripping ends of the clamps 20 through theapertures 32 to again engage the sealing ring.

With the lter element attached the auxiliary lamp provides a warningsignal lamp which is compact for carrying at some convenient place onthe vehicle, and portable with the extension cord to position the lampat suitable positions ahead of or behind the vehicle for a warningsignal.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

In combination with a vehicle auxiliary trouble lamp comprising asealed-beam unit, an adapter for connecting said unit in the electricalsystem of said vehicle, said adapter comprising a cupshaped spoolmember, an electrical connector, and a plate member, and means forclamping said sealed-beam unit in said adapter, said means comprising apair of spring clamps each detachforming to the contour of the outerlens surfaceV of the sealed-beam unit, and having a pair ofdiametrically disposed axially extending integral flanges fmledatgthedge of sadfilterforv engaging the peripheral vedge ofsa-idLsealed-beam unit and positioning said lter thereon, said lteradditionally having disposed centrally of said-l flanges to rectangularapertures through: Which said spring clamps grip the sealed-beam unit.

ARCUS,

4 References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 422,592 Holman Mar. 4, 1890 1,781,865 Aniol Nov. 18,1930 2,153,100 Romanik. f f Apr,v 4, 1939 2,158,121' Hirschbergl May"16,1939 2,277,147 Rogers Mar. 24, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES DuvvPo'nt,J-; Ind.& Eng. Chem., October 1936, page 1162. (Copyy in Scientific Library).

